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(No Modl.)

H. ROBINSON. H011 AIR ENGINE Patented Feb FIG/I.

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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. ROBINSON. HOT AIB, ENGINE.

Patented Feb.. 3, 1891.

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VUNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

HORACE ROBINSON, OF MANOHES'IER, ENGLAND.

HOT-AIR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,904, dated February 3,1891.

Application filed April 25, 1890. Serial No. 349,532. (No model.)

October 17,1889,No. 201,391; in Belgium October 17, 1889,

and in Italy February 26, 1890, XXIV, 27,060.

To (J1/ZZ whom it may concern: Y,

Beit known that I, HORACE ROBINSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in llot-AirEngines, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 208, bearing date January 8,1880; in France,N .201,801, dated October 17, 1880; in Belgium, No. 88,000, dated October 17,1880; in Germany, No. 52,100, dated November 15, 1880, and in Italy, Vol. 24, No. 27,060, dated February 26, 1800,) of which the following is a specification.

` This invention has for its object the simpliiication of arrangement and construction combined with increased efficiency in action of that description of het-air engine in which an air-chamber is employed in which the air is alternately heated and cooled, and the consequent expansion and contraction thereof is utilized to produce motive power.

The improvements refer especially to enginesof small power-such,` for instance, as the driving of ventilating-propellers, &c., and to those. in which an air-chamberis arranged with its axis at or about right angles with that of the working-cylinder.

My improvements consist in extending the upper part of the air-chamber into a table or platform te form a bed for supporting the working-cylinder and crank-shaft bearing or bearings, which shall at the same time, by reason of the mass of metal contained within it and owing to its extended area,be sufficient to absorb and disperse the heat, and thereby dispense with the necessity of the usual waterjacket, hitherto found necessary for cooling the upper end of the air-chamber; also, in constructing the working-cylinder, l arrange it-with its rear end closed and in one piece with'the cylinder and with a port or passage cast therein communicating with the heatingchamber through a similar port or passage in the table or platform, whereby a direct communication is obtained, the making of several joints is dispensed with, and first cost reduced,

My improvements further refer to a simple Patented in England January 8. 1889, No. 298; in France No. 88,099; in Germany November 15,1889,No.52,196,

arrangement of mechanism for working the regenerator or displacer from the crank-pin without imparting any angular or twisting strain to the connecting rod or piston of the workingcylinder, and whereby such regenerator or displaccr is operated with a minimum of friction.

Lastly, my improvements consist in a simple arrangement of governing apparatus for regulating the speed of this class of hot-air engine, consisting of a disk valve provided with hit-and-miss7 apertures in its surface and seating. To this valve a partial rotation upon its (by preference) horizontal axis is imparted, so as to open the apertures by the spindle of the centrifugal governor-balls as they ily outward, pressing against the shorter arm of a suitably-weighted bell-crank lever.

On the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my improved engine, and Figs.2 and 8 are plan and end views of the same, respectively.

a is the platform or table forming an extension of the air-chamberb. This platform or table serves the part of a bed upon which the working-cylinder c and the crank-shaft bearing or bearings d are mounted, and at the Sametime, as before observed, its mass absorbs and its surface disperses away sufficient heat to cool the upper part of the said chamber b. The lower part of this chamberb is inclosed by the heater b2,for1ned of iron, steel, or other suitable material. The working-cylinder cis cast with one end closed andthe other open, and the closed end has a port or passage e cast in it. This port or passage c is in free communication with the port or passage e', cast or formed in the before-mentioned table or platform a, leading to the chamber b, so that the Varying pressure of air in the airchamber b is free to act upon the piston f, working in the said cylinder c. In this manner a more direct communication is obtained between the working-cylinder and the air chamber without branch pipes, and whereby the making of several faced joints is dispensed with.

h, Fig. 1, is the displacer or regenerator arranged to work up and down in the a'irnchamber b, and consisting, preferably, of a metal casing-say of iron or stee with openings at the top and bottom, through which the air will pass, (in the direction of the arrow, see Fig. 1,) this casing being filled with wiregauze, asbestus, yarn, or other suitably-perforated material, through which the air will pass. I have found tangled wire to answer well.

7c,Fig. l, the displacer or regenerator rod extending out into the open air through t-lie long hole Z, as shown, the hole being so long from l to Z that the rod 7i'. is not only guided by it to and fro, but passes through it practically air-tight and without necessitating a stuffing-box or the use of packing. The said rod 7c is attached by links m m, Figs. l, 2, and 4, or by a single forked link to the arm or .levei n, the fulcruin of which lever n is at o upon the top of the working-cylinder. The arm n is connect-ed at its front extremity to the crank-pin p by a link on each side fr i', Figs. l, 2, and so that the strains are central, and no twisting strain is thrown upon the said arin oi' lever n. Fig. l shows a side View, Fig. 2 a plan, and Figs. 4 and 5 a front view, of tlieselinks. The working-piston fis connected by the connecting-rod t, Figs. l and 2, to the before-mentioned crank-pin p. In this manner it will be observed that the connecting-rod t is brought quite centrally to the crank-piii p and has no other office to perform than to transmit the power.

The air-chamber is heated at its lower part or end either by a furnace or other means; or, as shown in Figs. l and 3, the casing s (preferably of cast-iron) is formed with a hole fu in it at one side and a chimney or exit w at the other. rllie said hole o is placed in suoli 4o a position that a gas-flame of the Bunsen type is drawn or enters through it, and the flame iinpinges upon the heater or lower pai-t of the air-chamber to heat it.

The burner fr', being outside" the casing S, as before mentioned, can be readily lighted. The burner may be flattened, as shown at n',

Figs. l and 6, to spread the flame.

32, Fig. 1, is a lining of asbestus or other non-conductor of heat. As before mentioned,

5o the engine is of that type in which the air is alternately heated and cooled, and its action may be described as follows:

As the regeiierator or displacer 7b is raised,

the air is heated and expanded and the pis- 5 5 ton is driven outward. The regenerator or displacer 7i is now lowered in advance of the piston. Its descent cools and contracts the the air, and the piston moves inward. The

- regenerator or displacer is again raised in ad- 6o vance of the piston, and the cycle is repeated.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, l0, and ll illustrate various views and details of my improved governing Vapparatus and show the means of controlling the speed of the engine and stopping it when required. Fig. 7 is a back elevation, and Fig. -8 a sectional plan, of the centrifugal governorjl/ and valve apparatus. Fig. 9 is a front view of the disk valve z3, and Fig. 'l0 shows a separate view of the valve spindle z?. Fig. 1l is a side sectional view of the end of the working-cylinder, showing, also,the valve apparatus in position.

The centrifugal governor may consist ot a pair of balls y', affixed equidistant fromthe horizontal axis of the governor to a springblade y2. This governor is revolved (from a grooved pulleyt' on the crank-shaft) by an endless cord passing around its driving-pulley jf/ii. The disk valve .c3 is capable of being opened and closed by turning partially upon its horizontal axis, and being provided with hit-and -miss apertures or orifices z", (see Fig. 9,) which correspond with similar holes or orifices ci, formed through the valve-seating. The spindle 22 of this valve passes through to the outside, and is there provided with a bell-crank lever e, the longer arm of which is provided with an adjustable weight c', while between the shorter arm of suoli bell-crank lever and the spring-blade y2 of t-he governor a sliding rod g4 is interposed. In this manner any movement of the said spring-blade either inward or outward is instantly communicated to the bell-crank lever, and thus the disk valve z3 is opened and closed.

e, Figs. 7, 8, and 11, is the small chamber, which is filled with cotton waste or other material to subdue the sound of the escaping air.

The action of this improved governor and valve apparatus is as follows: Vlien the parts are in position, as shown in Figs. 7 and S, the valve 53 is so situated that the holes 5" in it are not over the holes in a* in the seat, and therefore the air cannot escape, the weight 5 tending to keep the valve shut. When, however, the speed of the engine rises, the governor y moves the sliding rod y1 in the direction of the arrow, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) pressing the same against the shorter arm of the bell-crank lever 5, and thus turns the spindle z2. The valve ,es is turned with the spindle, and the holes ,e5 of the valve are thus brought more or less over the holes e* in the valve-seat, so that the air escapes, and the pressure behind the piston is thus diminished and the speed of the engine is prevented from rising unduly. The weight .5" is also raised by the action of the governor when the speed is tending to fall. The weight, the., overcome the tendency of the governor and more or less turn the valve, thus closing it.4

The engine thus maintains its speed.

To stop the engine when desired, the weight zis held up. This turns the disk valve z3, permitting the air to escape, and so the engine is brought to a standstill.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isd

l.' In al1 air-engine, the combination, with the air-chamber Z7, of the platform or table a,

IOO

IIO

forming,` an extension of said ehainber and adapted to su p port the working-cylinder and crank-shaft bearings and serve as an absorber and dispenser of heat, substantially as described.

2. In an air-engine, the combination, with the air-chamber b and platform a, having` an aperture l, 0f the working-eylinder and piston, the crank-pin p, the lever n, eonneeLed to the-crank-pin by links r r on each side, the connecting-rod t between thepiston and crankpin7 the displaeer 7L, having a rod extended through the aperture Z, and the links m m for connecting said rod with the lever n, substantially as described.

3. ln an air-engine, the combination of the air-chamber I), the platform or table a, forming an extension 0f said chamber, and the cylinder c, mounted on said platform and having one end open and its other end connected through the port e with the air-chamber, substantially as described.

4l. In an airengine, the combination of the easing s, having an opening,` at one end and the chimney w at its other end, the burner u', located outside said easing opposite the openin gu., the ai r-ehaniber l), the displaeer 7L, havin g a rod k, the table or platform a, forming an extension of the air'ehamber andhaving an aperture for passage of the displacer-rod, and the working-cylinder, piston, and crankshaft bearings supported on said table, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature to the foregoing specification.

HORACE ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

WALTER GUNN, EDMUND WILSON. 

